Are you a fan of crab legs? Then, we warmly welcome you to the cluster club! We love ‘em! Especially once the weather warms, making dining al fresco a less messy crabby affair. Before you dive into your next crab leg session, let’s review some top tips for picking.
Easy Picking—Alaskan Snow Crab Legs
Snow crabs are found in the frosty-cold waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic. They get pretty hefty, averaging 2 to 4 lbs. You’ll probably only see snow crabs sold in clusters, this being an already spilt and cleaned crab. Snow crab meat is hearty and sweet with a hint of salt, perfect for a dip in melted butter.
Snow crab legs are generally considered easier to crack and pick, due to their thinner shells. Making these clusters, our easy picking pick.
Step 1—Breaking it down into manageable pieces
One snow crab cluster contains a smaller body section, four legs, and one long claw. The ‘money’ meat is located in the legs and our chief cracking focus. Separate the legs from the body by firmly twisting and pulling. Once all the legs have been removed, break the legs down further by separating into smaller sections at the joints. You might release and reveal some crab meat in the process, this we call the ‘bonus snack’!
Step 2—Cracking the Legs
Pick a spot, roughly center, on the leg to crack in half. Use your hands to see-saw the shell back and forth to loosen. If you’ve split the leg cleanly, you’ll be able to pull out a solid piece of leg meat. If not, no worries! You can extract those morsels using a crab picker or seafood fork.
Step 3—Claw Time
Using a nutcracker, crack the widest section of the claw (the spot right below the pinchers tends to be the widest), you don’t need to use extreme pressure here, just enough to cause fissures in the shell. Once enough cracking has occurred, position your hands on either side of the crack, and pry the shell loose, revealing the meat. There’s often a piece of connective cartilage (the piece that allows the crab to open and close their pinchers) that you can easily feel and remove with your fingers. If you’re using a mallet, tap that same thick part of the claw just until the shell cracks, and repeat the steps above.
All Hail, The King!
They’re called ‘king’ for a good reason, they weigh between 6 to 8 lbs. (some getting as large as 20 lbs.), their bodies are, on average, 11 inches with a leg span of almost 5ft.!! King crab meat is mild in flavor with a nice sweetness and their legs are things made of legend. Because of their size, these crab legs are served by the leg, not the cluster.
King crab legs are BIG! Their shells are thick and a little spikey, which make them a little more labor intensive than the snow crab clusters. But! The work is worth the reward.
Step 1—Breaking it down into manageable pieces
Using a cloth or gloves to protect your hands, twist or see-saw the crab leg at the joint, and pull to separate. There will be a long stand of firm cartilage that will come out as well, discard that along with the shell (when the time comes).
Step 2—Bust out the good kitchen scissors
Kitchen scissors or shears are the easiest way to remove the shell from the larger sections of the crab legs. The lighter, whiter parts of the leg tend to be the softest. Starting at the joint break, snip the shell in a straight line working your way up the leg.
Step 3—Release the meat!
Carefully pry the snipped shell apart and, using your fingers, pinch and remove the meat from within. If the meat does not come freely, use the scissors to cut around the width of the shell, and see-saw (like you did with the joint sections) to remove and release. You could also use a crab meat picker or seafood fork if the meat needs a little more coaxing.
Step 4—Claw Time
King crab claws are notoriously thick (and meaty). They are usually too large for a nutcracker too. Best to use a crab mallet and firmly strike the claws until they crack. I like to rotate and strike, weakening the shell in several places. Once the shell has weakened, pry the pieces apart, and remove the claw meat.
Dungeness, for the Intrepid Crab Leg Lover
Dungeness crabs get their name from a quaint fishing village in Washington state. Found in Pacific waters ranging from Alaska to Santa Barbara, Dungeness crabs would be the bulky hunk of the group. Their fan shaped sizable shell is the tell tell, growing as much as 10+ inches across and total weight pushing 2lbs. Their meat is sweet, tender and delicate making it a West Coast delicacy
Dungeness crabs are portioned into squat clusters with an almost equal portion of leg and body meat to savor.
Step 1—Breaking it down into manageable pieces
Separate the legs from the body by firmly twisting and pulling. Once all the legs have been removed, break the legs down further by separating into smaller sections at the joints.
Step 2—Cracking the Legs and Claws
Dungeness crabs have pretty thick shells. The best way to tackle these is by using a nutcracker. Position the nutcracker in the center of the crab leg section and gently squeeze until you hear an audible crack (be careful not to squeeze too hard or you’ll crush the meat inside). See-saw the legs, at the crack, to open. If the shell is extra tough, use a crab mallet instead.
Step 3—Release the meat
You’ll want to use a crab picker or seafood fork for this job. Slide the fork into the opening and spear the meat inside. Gently slide the meat out, remove, and discard any lingering shell or cartilage before noshing.
Step 4–Don’t forget the body!
There’s a lot of shell to contend with when it comes to the body. No need to fret, patience will be rewarded. We recommend going into this task using your fingers to pry the delicate body meat loose. This way you’ll be able to feel around and discard any bits of shell. Any tough to reach places can be excavated with a crab picker or seafood fork.
Ready to Get Picking?
Say goodbye to the hassle of dealing with fake, undersized, and overpriced crab legs! You deserve the best crabs in the world, delivered right to your door. All of the crab legs we covered in this article are available at our online store. Click HERE to shop today!
